Whether you have been overweight most of your life, you have yo-yo’ed between thin, average, and obese, or you have always felt that your body is flawed in some way, God wants to bring you to a place of freedom in the area of your physical weight!

Yes! Thats right... He cares so much about you that He wants you to be free from the anxieties that arise when you step on the scale or go
shopping for clothes. He wants you to be free from the weight of comparison, worrying what
people think, and not measuring up. He wants you to be free from the burden that is attached to
your physical appearance. But, in order to do so, you must surrender these areas to Him, and
trust Him with your body.

As we embark on this journey to health together, you will learn ways to practically care
for the body God gave you, in which you will find it feeling, working, and even looking better!
You will also find that as you care for your body as God intended that your body will settle at the
weight that He originally designed it. I want to mention that this may not be a size zero, and it
may mean that you will still see some lumps, curves, and numbers that don’t measure up with
society's ideal standard of beauty. It will, however, mean that you are able to live free from the
crazy ups and downs that go along with dieting, disordered eating, and the never ending comparison game.

I can promise that if you surrender your body (which includes your body weight, shape,
and size) to the Lord, then you will find yourself in a place of freedom that you have never felt before! Surrender may look differently for everyone, but for me it meant getting rid of my scale
for a few years (I now use one to weigh myself about once a month just to stay on track), and it
also meant that I had to learn to love my body wherever my weight naturally settled when I was
walking in a place of health. For me, this number varies slightly depending on hormones, water
retention, the season of life I am in. But for the most part, I have been able to maintain my
weight (with a five pound variance) for about 10 years!

I like to think of my body as being petite, with some muscle tone (thanks to weight lift-
ing) and some curves (thanks to my genetics) I have learned to love the skin I am in, and above
all, I have learned to find my value, worth, and confidence in Christ. In addition, I am learning to
appreciate the God-given gift that my body is. Despite that fact that it has been through many
highs and lows, it always seems to be forgiving, and it has even been able to bring forth new life,
to which I am most thankful for!

Being pregnant has also taught me a lot about the beautiful gift of being a woman, which
is so needed in this day and age. Yes, my body is changing, growing, and stretching in ways I
have never thought possible, and yet, I can see the wonder of it all as I see signs of life within!
This experience has taught me that although society prizes the most slim and fit silhouette on a
woman, the most beautiful thing of all is when our bodies are healthy, strong, and working just
as God designed them. I have also learned that this will look a little different on everyone, as
everyone was created uniquely by Him!

One of my favorite ways to emphasize this truth is to picture ten women lined up next to
each other. Now, picture with me for a moment how different each one of these women look.
From top to bottom, every woman is extraordinarily unique! From their hair styles, facial features, bodily curves, right down to the size of their feet, it is rare to find two women that look exactly the same. Now, compare this to a line of 10 men standing side by side, and although there
may be some variations in their hair, face, weight or height, I always find that men tend to look
pretty similar, especially when it comes to the shape of their bodies. Of course, some guys may
have a little more weight in their belly than the next, but for the most part, they lack the curve
and unique design that God gave to women.

This visual may or may not have helped you see your body from a different perspective,
but it is my greatest hope that as you venture through this book, you are able to see the unique
beauty that was given to you by your creator. You, my friend, are God’s precious daughter, one
of a kind, and are so greatly treasured and loved by Him. For that reason alone, you can trust that
as you release the care of your physical body, He will bring you to a place of health, freedom,
and confidence that can only be found in Him! -Excerpt from my new book Nourish.

Written by Katie Farrell

Katie's greatest passions are the Lord, family, and ministry. It is Katie’s greatest desire to teach women about their identity in Christ and to inspire them to find a balance between spiritual and physical health, all while enjoying the journey!